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He turned back with the inspector, while Holmes and I walked slowly across the moor.
罗斯上校和警长已经返回，福尔摩斯和我两个人一起在荒原上慢慢散步。
The sun was beginning to sink behind the stable of Mapleton,
夕阳冉冉隐没到梅普里通马厩后面，
and the long, sloping plain in front of us was tinged with gold, deepening into rich, ruddy browns where the faded ferns and brambles caught the evening light.
我们面前广阔无垠的平原上沐浴着金光，在褪了色的蕨类植物和荆棘在晚霞的映照下，逐渐变成了丰富的红褐色。
But the glories of the landscape were all wasted upon my companion, who was sunk in the deepest thought.
可是面对这绚丽景色，福尔摩斯却无意欣赏，完全沉浸在深思之中。
"It's this way, Watson," said he at last.
"华生，这样吧，"他终于说道。
"We may leave the question of who killed John Straker for the instant and confine ourselves to finding out what has become of the horse.
"我们先把是谁杀害约翰·斯特雷克的问题暂时放下，目前仅限于寻找马的下落。
Now, supposing that he broke away during or after the tragedy, where could he have gone to? The horse is a very gregarious creature.
现在，假设在悲剧发生的当时或在悲剧发生后，这骑马脱缰逃跑，它能跑到什么地方去呢？马是爱合群的。
If left to himself his instincts would have been either to return to King's Pyland or go over to Mapleton.
按照它的本性，它不是回到金斯皮兰马厩，就是跑到梅普里通马厩去了。
Why should he run wild upon the moor? He would surely have been seen by now. And why should gypsies kidnap him?
它怎么会在荒原上乱跑呢？假使如此，它一定会被人看到的。吉卜赛人又为什么要拐走它呢？
These people always clear out when they hear of trouble, for they do not wish to be pestered by the police.
这些人品常一听说出了什么乱子，总是躲得远远的，唯恐被警察纠缠不休。
They could not hope to sell such a horse. They would run a great risk and gain nothing by taking him. Surely that is clear."
他们是不会认为能卖掉这样一匹名驹的。要是带上它，他们要冒很大风险而且一无所获，这一点是非常清楚的。"
"Where is he, then?"
"那么，马在哪里呢？"
"I have already said that he must have gone to King's Pyland or to Mapleton. He is not at King's Pyland. Therefore he is at Mapleton.
"我已经说过，它不是到金斯皮兰就是到梅普里通去了。现在不在金斯皮兰，那一定在梅普里通。
Let us take that as a working hypothesis and see what it leads us to. This part of the moor, as the inspector remarked, is very hard and dry.
我们就按这个假想去办，看结果怎么样。警长说过，这一片荒原的土质非常坚硬而且干燥。
But it falls away towards Mapleton, and you can see from here that there is a long hollow over yonder, which must have been very wet on Monday night.
可是向梅普里通地势则愈来愈低，从这里你可以看到那边是一个长长的低洼地带，在星期一夜晚一定是非常潮湿的。
If our supposition is correct, then the horse must have crossed that, and there is the point where we should look for his tracks."
要是我们的假定不错，那么这匹名驹必然会经过那里，我们就可以在那里找到它的蹄印了。"
